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| “Sermon on the Mount” by Pietro Annigoni, 1953 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Colossians 3:12-17
Commentary on Col 3:12-17
St. Paul exhorts the Colossians with a litany of positive attitudes that culminate in the cardinal axiom of the faith “love one another.” He goes on to implore them to let the peace of Christ control their every action and to praise God constantly through Jesus, God’s only Son.
This is the introduction to the family hierarchy of the era described by St. Paul. This entire section of the letter is a discourse on harmony within the family of Christ. It is important to note the instruction given in the first part of this reading. Paul describes the Christian rules for relationships; “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another”. The consistent focus of the passage brings home the Pauline ideals of harmony and unity within the Christian Family.
CCC: Col 3:14 815, 1827, 1844; Col 3:16-17 1156, 2633; Col 3:16 2641
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Commentary on Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
Psalm 150 contains this litany of praise, first praising God for what He is. In the strophes that follow, it offers praise with various media, instruments dance, and song. The psalm serves a doxology for the 5th book of Psalms. The sound of Crashing cymbals in this case reminds us of the rumblings and peals of thunder in Revelation, God’s work and presence on earth.
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Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Commentary on Lk 6:27-38
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Plain. In this section, Jesus extends the commandment to love one’s neighbor to include one’s enemy, breaking new ground in the interpretation of Mosaic Law. What follows is an extension of each of the laws governing hospitality and continues by extending even the judicial laws that govern dispute resolution. In conclusion of this section, the Lord exhorts the disciples to embrace forgiveness, saying “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
CCC: Lk 6:28 1669; Lk 6:31 1789, 1970; Lk 6:36 1458, 2842
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Reflection:
Have you ever wondered what you would say to someone about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? If you were placed in a situation where you didn’t have much time and the person you were talking to did not have even a clue about who Jesus was and is, what would you say? Say, for instance, you found yourself in a remote village where Jesus’ was a name not heard before, and one of the villagers approached you and asked, “Who is this ‘Jesus’ you pray to and why is he important to you?”
The answer to that question is given today. If we had to summarize what the Lord taught in just a few phrases we could say what Paul wrote to the Colossians in the first reading and punctuate it with that part of the sermon on the plain we were given from St. Luke’s Gospel.
Love God first and love one another second. If we had just one short sentence that communicated how we are commanded to live our faith; that would be it. Yes, there is a huge body of work that provides a frame work for how that love should be expressed, but when it is all distilled down, when all of the embellishments and flowery words are taken away, we are left with one clear and concise message; love God first and love one another.
St. Paul tells the Colossians that in love they can embrace the peace of Christ which will buoy them up and allow them to face the most difficult times. Jesus extends the idea of loving our neighbors, not just to the “nice” neighbors, but to those who consider themselves to be our enemies. Again the message echoes; “Love God and love one another!”
Pax
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